Employers, Here Are 5 Ways You Can Adjust Your Perks And Benefits To Meet The Needs Of The Virtual Workplace

This pandemic and the plunge into remote work has accelerated the need for companies to redesign their workplace perks and benefit plans. Regardless of whether their employees are in-office or remote, employers who offer robust remote perks improve employee health and wellness, nurture happier people, boost retention and loyalty, optimize productivity and enhance the overall remote culture.

Since the shift to remote work, the money companies spent on traveling and physical office space can now be invested back into the employees to keep them engaged. According to Global Workplace Analytics, a U.S. company adopting a remote work program can save more than $11,000 per employee per year.

Here are five ways employers can adjust their perks and benefits to meet the needs of the virtual workplace.

Offering Flexible Work Arrangements

Giving employees the freedom to manage their own working hours and take time for themselves when they need it is fundamental. Since most schooling is being done remotely, parents are finding it easier to work later in the evening or early morning. Albeit, the hours are untraditional but it’s when they’re most productive. Jenna Carson, HR Manager at Music Grotto, stated “having more freedom to choose their hours and organize their work around their family commitments is a huge benefit to a lot of people, and I think that in the future companies will have to offer this as part of their normal benefits package.”

It’s unrealistic for employers to expect their remote workers to juggle their home life with their work life in one setting, during a set timeframe and continue to perform at a high level. Everyone’s situation looks different. Productivity doesn’t have to be limited to a 9-5. Offering flexible hours lets employees work around their personal responsibilities and obligations. Thus, leading to more loyal employees because they have a better balance between their personal and professional lives. According to research conducted by SHRM, “55% of employees cited the flexibility to balance work and life issues as a very important aspect of their job satisfaction.”

Providing A Home Office Stipend

According to CareerBuilder, 78% of U.S. workers live paycheck to paycheck which means they don’t have the ability to purchase the essentials to build out a home office or area that’s comfortable for them to work. Chris Muktar, founder of WikiJob said, “many companies had to redesign their employee benefits to give employees the same work experience despite a new work environment.” A home office stipend can include:

• Furniture
• Equipment and hardware
• Upgrading internet to a faster connection
• Supplies
• Reimbursement for expenses such as mailing company and client packages or documents

Giving A Mental Health And Wellness Allowance

With the pandemic lasting longer than many anticipated, companies are recognizing that their workers mental health is in jeopardy. As a result, they’re expanding their gym membership subsidy to a broader mental health and wellness allowance that can be used for:

• Mental health apps such as Headspace or Calm
• Online yoga or gym classes
• Classpass
• Purchasing workout equipment (gym equipment, workout attire, etc...)
• Massages
• Hiring a health coach
• Investing in noise canceling headphones
• Pottery or painting classes

Aside from the perks listed above, employers can automate a daily reminder to make sure employees are taking mini breaks throughout the day to go for a walk, grab a healthy snack or stay hydrated.

Pivoting Existing Perks Into Remote-Friendly Ones

Typically, companies located in bigger cities offer transportation perks such as bus and subway passes or covering parking garage fees. Since workers aren’t commuting into the office, many employers are turning their existing transportation perk into a travel stipend or discount for them to use for a vacation or mental health retreat.

Moreover, since in-office snacks, drinks and occasional catered meals are at a standstill, companies are instead relying on delivery services. For example, some employers are offering a monthly lunch for their team members through Uber Eats and sending them snack boxes.

For in-person lunch and learnings, companies can bring in external virtual speakers to speak on topics such as improving remote work productivity, financial wellness and creating healthy self care habits, to name a few.

Expanding Health Insurance Benefits

In general, employee benefit offerings need an overhaul. While this pandemic has brought more awareness to mental health concerns, this has been a long-time struggle for most. Companies should prioritize expanding their health insurance benefits to, at a minimum, include more mental health options such as (telehealth) counseling and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

If companies will be keeping a majority or their entire workplace remote, it’s worth adding benefits geared toward childcare needs such as daycare assistance. Samantha Moss, editor and content ambassador at Romantific, shared, “we heavily support our employees by helping them with their childcare needs by giving them access to professional babysitters and by engaging their kids by enrolling them in online classes.” Additionally, some employers, such as Tillamook, understand children might be struggling in school due to the new remote schooling setup, therefore, they’re offering tutoring and child education support programs through programs like Varsity Tutors.